If I were an Evil Supergenius with Unlimited Resources, I would try to genetically engineer long-lived octopuses, just to see what would happen if their problem-solving skills and ability to learn weren't hampered by a three-year lifespan.

The Good Supergenius with Unlimited Resources version would probably involve terraforming some other planet first so that the octopodes could build their civilization somewhere else and give us a head start on self-defense.